Seal



Aug. 25, 1964 KING, SR

SEAL

Filed Aug. 19; 1963 ll- LC L J .NOT R E Mm. E

FIGS

KW RS. mm un G. H M; w 5 V F Ma x m I 3 5 I/ m :7 ///,\4 B Ya Q a F 222 2% 3 5 W United States Patent 3,146,012 SEAL Karl G. King, Sr., Miami, Fla, assignor to No-Vak, Inc., Miami Beach, Fla., a corporation of Florida Filed Aug. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 302,889 4 Claims. (Cl. 292320) This invention relates to seals and is more particularly directed to a snap-type seal.

The present snap-type seal sometimes fails to indicate at a glance to a person inspecting the seal that it had been tampered with when the seal itself has been tampered with but the seal itself has not been broken or otherwise destroyed. The present invention contemplates providing a seal which will indicate at a glance when any degree of tampering has been effected on the seal.

Therefore a principal object of the present invention is to provide a seal with exposed interlocking members and other structure whereby any tampering with the seal and attempts at restoring it to its original condition to escape detection will be readily observed by the person inspecting the seal.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a seal made of plastic material which is simple in construction and inexpensive as to manufacturing costs and most effective to seal and object such as a utility meter and the like against being tampered with without detection.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a seal described as above with a plurality of weak points thereon at which position the seal will rupture or break if the seal is tampered with.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a seal with a plurality of visual check points which will indicate that the seal has been tampered with.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

L1 the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a seal constructed in accordance with my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view.

FIGURE 3 is a front edge view.

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout the several views, the numeral refers to a seal embodying my invention consisting of a body portion 11 which is substantially fiat having an interlocking slotted portion 12 at one end, a strap 13 secured at the other end as at 14 and a surface 36 upon which any desired written matter may be placed. The slotted portion 12 is provided with a longitudinally disposed opening 15 having a rectangular cross section that extends to the bottom wall 16 of the slotted portion 12 forming front and rear walls 17 and 18. The front wall 17 is provided with a rectangular opening 19 positioned between rectangular openings 20 and 21 formed on the rear wall 18. The openings 19, 20 and 21 form exposed shoulders 25, 26 and 27 respectively, against which barbs 28, 29 and 30 bear as is explained in detail hereinafter. The front wall 17 is further provided with an inner shoulder 31 positioned above 3,146,012 Patented Aug. 25, 1964 the opening 19 against which a barb 32 mounted on the end of the strap 13 along with the barbs 28, 29 and 30. The free end of the strap 13 is rounded and pointed as at 33 to permit the easy insertion thereof into the slot 15.

The strap 13 extends upwardly of the body portion 11 having a sharp square edge connection 14 with the body portion 11 to form a weak point whereupon any bending force applied to the strap 13 will tend to fracture the strap 13 at the connection portion 14. The strap 13 forms two bends at 34 and 35 to position the end 33 of the strap 13 in proximity of the opening 15.

Another weak or fracture point on my strap 13 is at a position above the upper barbs 29, 32 as at 37. It is at this position that in the production of the seal 10, the plastic material is fed into the mold. There is a normal flow of the plastic material in opposite directions in the mold and not until the mold becomes filled with plastic material, does the strap 13 become formed and the strap becomes joined by oppositely directed flows of plastic fluid thereby rendering this position weaker than the remaining structure of the seal 10.

By the use of Delrin, a Du Pont product as the plastic material for making the seals 10, the seal 10 itself is rugged, strong and flexible to a slight degree with the weak points at 14, 34, 35 and 37 that will fracture when the strap 13 is flexed in an attempt to disengage the strap 13 once it has been placed into the opening 15. A plurality of parallel disposed ridges 41) are positioned on the front side of the strap 13 above the upper barbs 29, 32. The primary function of these ridges are to assist a person when he grasps the strap 13 in inserting the strap 13 into the opening 15 and forcing into locking position the barbs 23, 29, 30 and 32. The ridges permit a person to grasp the strap 13 by ones fingers without slipping therethrough. Also, in the event a person tampers with the seal in attempting to remove same from a meter and the like to which the seal is attached, the ridges 43 will be defaced and as such will bear evidence of the pilferage.

In the normal use of the seal 10 the strap 13 is inserted through the item to be protected and the end 33 of the strap 13 is inserted into the opening 15. With the fingers grasping the strap 13 at the ridges 10, the strap is forced into the slotted portion 15 until the barbs 28, 29, 30 and 32 are seated against the shoulders 25, 26, 27 and 31 respectively. The seal 13 is now in its sealed or locked position. By looking through the openings 19, 20 and 21 one can readily see the barbs and the shoulders in interengaged position. The seal 13 can be removed from the object it is guarding by merely cutting the strap 13 and then replacing the destroyed seal 13 with a new one. In the event a person tampers with the seal, evidence of such tampering will be apparent. If he succeeds in disengaging the strap 13 from the slotted portion opening 15, the barbs 30 themselves will have become rounded which originally had sharp edges engaging the shoulders. The ridges 40 will have been smashed or broken off, the gating portion 37 will show a fracture therein or the strap 13 will be broken at this position. Likewise depending upon the manner at which the pilferer has manipulated the strap 13, there will be evidence of fracturing or a break at the bends 34, 35 and at the square cut 14 at the base of the strap 13.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A seal comprising a body member, said body member having a slotted portion extending along one side, a strap member secured at one end to the other side of said body member, said slotted portion having a pair of walls, one of said walls having a plurality of spaced openings forming shoulders in said slotted opening, the other of said wall having an opening forming a shoulder positioned between said first named shoulders, a further shoulder formed on an inner surface of said other of said wall in alignment with one of said first named shoulders and interengaging shoulder means mounted on said other end of said strap member whereby upon the insertion of said other end of said strap member in said slotted portion said interengaging means engage said shoulders at said openings and said internal shoulder for securing said other end of said strap to said body member.

2. A seal comprising a body member, said body member having a slotted portion along one side, a strap member secured at one end to the other side of said body member, said strap member having a plurality of bent portions whereby the other end of said strap member terminates in proximity of said slotted portion, said slotted portion having a pair of walls, one of said walls having a plurality of spaced openings forming shoulders in said slotted opening, the other of said wall having an opening forming a shoulder positioned between said first named shoulders, a further shoulder formed on an inner surface of said other of said wall in alignment with one of said first named shoulders and interengaging shoulder means mounted on said other end of said strap member whereby upon the insertion of said other end of said strap member in said slotted portion said interengaging shoulder means engage said shoulders at said openings and said internal shoulder for securing said other end of said strap to said other side of said body member.

3. A seal comprising a body member, said body member having a slotted portion along one side, a strap member secured at one end to the other side of said body member, said strap member having a plurality of bent portions whereby the other end of said strap member terminates in proximity of said slotted portion, said slotted portion having a pair of walls, one of said walls having a plurality of spaced openings forming shoulders in said slotted opening, the other of said wall having an opening forming a shoulder positioned between said first named shoulders, a further shoulder formed on an inner surface of said other of said wall in alignment with one of said first named shoulders, companion shoulder means mounted on said other end of said strap member whereby upon the insertion of said other end of said strap member in said slotted portion said companion shoulder means engage all said shoulders at said openings and said internal shoulder for securing said other end of said strap member to said other side of said body member and a plurality of substantially parallel disposed ridges mounted on said strap member in proximity of said companion shoulder means for assisting in inserting said strap into said slotted portion.

4. The structure as recited by claim 3 and a weakened portion on said strap member in proximity of said ridges whereby said weakened portion and said ridges indicate attempts at pilfering an article protected by said seal.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,964,014 Wenk June 26, 1934 2,020,198 Miller Nov. 5, 1935 2,977,145 Ritkin Mar. 28, 1961 

1. A SEAL COMPRISING A BODY MEMBER, SAID BODY MEMBER HAVING A SLOTTED PORTION EXTENDING ALONG ONE SIDE, A STRAP MEMBER SECURED AT ONE END TO THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID SLOTTED PORTION HAVING A PAIR OF WALLS, ONE OF SAID WALLS HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED OPENINGS FORMING SHOULDERS IN SAID SLOTTED OPENING, THE OTHER OF SAID WALL HAVING AN OPENING FORMING A SHOULDER POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID FIRST NAMED SHOULDERS, A FURTHER SHOULDER FORMED ON AN INNER SURFACE OF SAID OTHER OF SAID WALL IN ALIGNMENT WITH ONE OF SAID FIRST NAMED SHOULDERS AND INTERENGAGING SHOULDER MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID OTHER END OF SAID STAP MEMBER WHEREBY UPON THE INSERTION OF SAID OTHER END OF SAID STRAP MEMBER IN SAID SLOTTED PORTION SAID INTERENGAGING MEANS ENGAGE SAID SHOULDERS AT SAID OPENINGS AND SAID INTERNAL SHOULDER FOR SECURING SAID OTHER END OF SAID STRAP TO SAID BODY MEMBER. 